DLP Propaganda, Indoctrination, Control: Seeks to Include
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DLP Propaganda, Indoctrination, Control: seeks to include. A couple of academics, Moles Hiding, Mules Executing Poisonous Kane and Patapan, hold the view that: Arrows "Persuasion is vital to the practice of by democratic leadership, making speech and communication of fundamental George C. Brathwaite importance. Yet democratic citizens Given the political issues, crises, habitually suspect political rhetoric as machinations and shenanigans impacting on being either deceitfully empty or Barbados over the last three years, and dangerously subversive. Rhetoric is thus especially with the types of defences made by central in democracy while paradoxically and for PM Stuart and his, the two poorest appearing either useless or pernicious." performing Cabinets in living memory, Is the DLP a pernicious liability in the several observers have concluded that the context of politics in Barbados since February Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is superior to 2013? Does the DLP cunningly hide more in the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) regarding terms of people and issues, than one may the use of shaded innuendo, political 'spin' imagine in the context of Barbados' political and crass propaganda. culture? Has the DLP been deliberately avoiding a frontal approach to the calamities Noam Chomsky presents the view that "even negatively impacting on the Barbados though people have the freedom to make their own economy, by throwing to its visible and decisions, they must guard themselves against invisible supporters pieces of baseless powerful influences that intend to direct what they rhetoric, rumour-harbouring half-truths, and think and do in an attempt to maintain power." meaningless trivia as societal distractions? Barbadians have to be very mindful of the indistinguishable moles and figurative mules For instance, MP Mara Thompson recently that are antithetical to the interests of stated that "the time has come" for the working class Barbadians and their offspring. Ministry of Education in Barbados to "examine the hole in education which is David Thompson speaking at the first DLP getting bigger and bigger." Thompson annual conference after he became prime suggested that there are "those who are falling minister in 2008, reminded a DLP audience through the cracks because of the desire to still basking in its long-awaited electoral ensure a graduate in every household, instead victory that "we are a family and we have a of ensuring literacy." The St. John duty to look out one for the other." As if that parliamentarian, herself a late entrant to the was insufficient, David Thompson coached country, lamented that stakeholders in his followers directing them to understand Barbados, "don’t want to admit that our that in no uncertain terms should they shy people pass through primary school, but yet away from commitment to the DLP because, can’t read or write a sentence." In the far "your duty is to play your part in maintaining the extreme, one may have thought Mara was honour and dignity of this institution, especially about to implore an entity such as CLICO to now when it forms the government." An make a substantial contribution to correcting inference can be made that the Thompson this oversight. Perhaps, one may have statement does not rule out as much as it thought that Thompson was about to scold Page 1 of 4 MP Ronald Jones for long overlooking and contradictorily being announced to important matters of education and human Barbadians? resource development. But no! Additional misrepresentations became the harbinger of Surely with a budget that followed MP Jones' Mara Thompson's contribution to the 2013 clumsy dribbling of Alexandra and his more budget debate. recent incendiary remarks, in more ways than one, suggested that significant philosophical Mara Thompson would convey that there is a shifts were being pursued by the current DLP "constant pleading with the Barbadian public administration. The DLP had now moved to reduce themselves to anarchy and protest." from the social democratic mooring espoused Furthermore, there is something blatant by the National Hero and Right Excellent about her rhetorical mischief, if only it is to Errol Walton Barrow during those formative continue along a similar pathway set by her years of an independent Barbados? deceased predecessor representing the constituency of St, John. The path of Additionally, was Mara Thompson's innuendo, theatrics, and inexplicable bouts mischievous rant about the UWI's quality of of anger have also been followed by, above all teaching, given that a number of qualified others, the current Minister of Education in and experienced practitioners were making Barbados. an enviable contribution to knowledge, a vain mirage? How could this MP that was It was in June 2013 that MP Ronald Jones graciously accepted by St. John people so shockingly warned that 'influential' people callously label hardworking Barbadians to be were aggravating the masses and, a likely 'political rejects' when in fact these persons outcome was that the military and chose to share their wealth of knowledge and paramilitary forces in Barbados would have experience to UWI students. to be called out to "crack some heads” and “shoot some people” to “bring back law and Was MP Thompson's political rhetoric a order” to this civil country. bare-faced approach to temporarily hide the full implications of the DLP's backward and Were these sentiments expressed by Jones draconian political and economic policies? and Thompson half-truths that were far more Was there something sinister that all misleading and likely to promote hostility Barbadians ought to become aware given than could insights be gleaned from the Mara Thompson's menacing glare at the utterances? Was MP Jones fair or even UWI and those who by merit occupy a place remotely accurate when he told Barbadians on the hill? Or, were Mara Thompson's that "there are persons who have no respect 'reckless language' in which she coyly accused for democracy," and although "they have a the BLP of licentious behaviour designed as a right to talk ... they believe that right spreads ploy to keep hidden the already to the creation of a groundswell to breed indoctrinated, and otherwise irascible moles insurrection?" Did Jones deliberately seek to that already reside in the trenches at Cave draw attention away from the economic woes Hill? Is there a protracted interchange facing the country due to poor economic between the moles and the more symbolic management? Was there an attempt by mules whose neutered personal persons such as Jones and Thompson to characteristics are offensively advocating cloud the austere measures being sneakily financial burdens for currently enrolled Page 2 of 4 students? Why must Barbadian students on Therefore, did Mara Thompson's vivid but the hill be exposed to the myopic but hidden rash, irresponsible, and cunning, inclusive of agendas of mules whose barren emptiness is her provocative claim that there was a group matched with an envy for the parents and in "constant pleading with the Barbadian guarantors? Barbadian parents and the public to reduce themselves to anarchy and students themselves came to expect that their protest," slant the course of national debate higher than normal taxes would afford a in a way that softens the burdensome university education if so desired. Should the measures introduced by Chris Sinckler in his Barbadian student be insulted in the class 2013 budgetary statement? rooms on campus by the clandestine moles or the brash mules? Taken together, did Jones, Thompson, and other DLP spokespersons bring an elitist Are lecture theatres and seminar rooms now domination to control the minds of the the surreptitious places to ambush all those masses and those too vulnerable to resist and who rightfully would have expected that free may fear political victimisation given the education and health would be theirs just as recent and last victory for the DLP at the Stuart and most of his Cabinet received from polls? Chomsky suggests that "the Barbados' tax payers. It may well be that mechanisms of elite propaganda are more callous mules incapable of real parental difficult to discern than totalitarian empathy - hidden moles and supportive propaganda, as they actually fashion attitudes advocates for the DLP's backward position - of subservience as opposed to coercing the are carrying quivers full of ulterior motives population into submission." and 'poison arrows' which, are cleverly and emotively aimed at youthful Barbadians and To this end, the DLP's constant harping parents already seeing dread given the without the co-requisite of economic growth ravishing of their allowances and that 'Barbados is more than an economy, it is emoluments over a sustained five to six years. a society' may likely hide more than it actually reveals. It has been argued that David Edward Herman argues that "clearly, the Thompson although accusing the BLP of manufacture of consent by a 'specialized class' having "cloaked their political appointments that can override the short-sighted in the euphemistic and misleading term of perspectives of the masses must entail media consultants," was well aware and capable of control by that class." The mules' the espionage moles are known to engage professionalism ought not to become while doubling as mules. discoloured regarding any "anti-government sermons" since the things that are "preached `For the purpose of indoctrination to the on the hill" by political rejects are not "under DLP's regime, has there been a direct and the guise of lectures and tutorials" as strong sense of unfair, scathing criticisms Thompson is telling Barbadians. Rather, levelled against a BLP keen to rub shoulders governments' successes and failures are used with affected Barbadians from all classes and as examples in terms of examining political walks of society? Hasn't the BLP displayed culture, political socialisation, good empathy regarding the numerous thousands governance, authoritarianism, among other of Barbadians already experiencing dread, topics in the field of political science.